Active vs. Passive American Jazz Bass

[two1frets]

*Please Move This To Pickups Forum Please. By mistake I posted in the wrong forum. doh. :smackhead: *

Hey

I'm looking into buying a new American Jazz Bass. I fell in love with the Olympic White with Tortoise Shell pick guard combination, but now my only dilemma is to choose active or passive pickups. If people could share their experiences with the American standard (passive) and the American deluxe (active), that would also be great. Also, is the smaller body on the Deluxe a plus? I would like to know you opinions about the Standard/Passive and Deluxe/Active Jazz bass. I am into slap bass mainly, if you consider my style to be a contributing factor.

Thanks and this forum is the best. I'm looking forward to your wisdom.

-two1frets

 

[jenderfazz]

the american deluxe feels great and sounds pretty good if you like the active vibe. totally noiseless even with one soloed pickup. however, the preamp may be a bit of a weak point - dropping a good one in would really kick it up a notch. the 22 frets are nice and the fit and finish are a little better than the american standard in my experience. sounds great for pop and slap (think marcus miller). get the american deluxe "ash" if you really want it to come alive.

the american standard is simpler, just plug and play, and you get more of a classic fender tone. i've found that on my old american deluxe i never used the onboard preamp and had to play with the amp a little more to get the sound i wanted. the american standard just gave me the tone out of the box with no fuss. i have no need for 22 frets, either.

just remember that even with the onboard preamp set flat, an active bass will sound different from a passive bass!